11 best Japanese desserts you must eat in Tokyo

Tokyo’s parfait takes after the American version, where ingredients such as yoghurt, fruit, cream, nuts and more are layered in a tall glass, rather than the classic French custard concoction. There are cafés in Tokyo just specialising in parfait, each trying to outdo the other with extravagant creations and unique flavours.

One of Tokyo's best is Initial Nakameguro, whose seasonal parfaits feature gloriously indulgent ice creams and fresh seasonal fruits. Plus, it's open late until 11pm.

Discover more parfait speciality cafes here. 

A peculiar treat which originated in Japan, fruit sandwiches, or sando, are a combination of fluffy shokupan (Japanese bread), light-as-air whipped cream, and a variety of fruits which changes with the season.

For one of the best fruit sandwiches in Tokyo, stop by Daiwa Nakameguro and grab one to go. Alternatively, head over to its sister outlet just one station away; Da Café Ebisu has ample seating, most of which are outdoors.

A must-try on any visit to Japan, these popular fish-shaped pastries are typically stuffed with all sorts of fillings, but most commonly you'll find sweet red bean paste. Other variants you might come across are sweet potato, apple and even ice cream.

Visit the original maker of taiyaki, Naniwaya, which has been in operation since 1909. It's still at the top of the taiyaki game.

Discover more taiyaki speciality stores here. 

This French favourite has found an unlikely home in Harajuku, where there’s seemingly a pancake flipper on every corner. Marion Crêpes, one of Harajuku’s longest running crêpe shops, rules supreme with classics such as strawberry sharing menu space with more experimental offerings such as azuki bean and tuna with curry sauce.

Going to Harajuku for the street food and desserts? We have just the guide for you.

Traditional Japanese teatime sweets, known as wagashi, are in a league of their own. While western desserts are often equated with excess and indulgence, the dainty wagashi instead calls for quiet appreciation over a calming tea session.

As their colour, shape and flavour vary according to the time of year, these sweets are all about capturing the essence of the season in a miniature, edible form. Cafe Tsubaki is a great place to enjoy these sweets paired with a side of matcha green tea.

You'll find more wagashi cafés in Tokyo here. 

Tokyo (or Japan for that matter) sure offers a lot of ice cream and frozen treats. The city, however, has a soft spot for soft-serve in particular, which is affectionally known as soft cream locally.

Options usually start with a basic milk base, like the super rich Hokkdaido milk soft-serve, but you can also get other specialities such as melon, chocolate and matcha. The Roastery on Cat street has a mean coffee version which tastes like a frozen latte while Tempura Motoyoshi Imo in Daikanyama offers its milk soft-serve with sweet potato tempura.

A traditional Japanese delicacy, mochi (sticky rice cakes) can be enjoyed both sweet or savoury. Within the mochi category, you'll find a wide variety of options, from the light and jelly-like warabimochi, to dense and chewy daifuku mochi filled with red bean paste.

If you don't know where to start, we recommend visiting Kanmi Mitsuya for its shiratama dango mochi. The mochi here is made fresh daily and come in a range of flavours including kuromitsu kinako (black honey and roasted soybean powder), matcha and zunda (sweet mashed edamame beans).

See more mochi dessert cafés here.

Thanks to this ingenious combination from Ginza Wakamatsu, anmitsu is now a classic Japanese dessert that you can find all over the country. The dessert is served in a bowl with a mix of anko bean paste, mitsumame (agar jelly made from seaweed) and fruit drizzled with kuromitsu (black sugar syrup). 

To try this dessert at its birthplace, order the 'original anmitsu', as it's called on the menu. It also comes in different variations including the cream shiratama anmitsu, which has a scoop of vanilla ice cream and shiratama mochi.

No one does pancakes quite like Japan, and these fluffy, soufflé-like treats have become something close to an art form. Pancake specialists like Flippers and A Happy Pancake have found success in their super-fluffy creations and are definitely worth the queue.

For avid cheesecake fans, you'll find everything from true New York-style cheesecake and cheese tarts to rainbow cheesecake all over the city. We love Johann, which has been turning out indulgent cakes since 1978. The cheesecakes here are made with less sugar than your average cake and they feature over 65 percent real cheese.